Credit: Food & Wine / Reddit
Even the best home cook can mess up a fried egg. It takes skill and practice to achieve one that’s sunny-side up, with a firm white and a plump yolk that runs with the slightest poke of your fork.
When Reddit user u/MindsEye33 posted the question, “What’s your method to get the perfect fried egg with a runny yolk?” on r/Cooking, it received over 100 responses. The comments had some seriously helpful tips, like using room-temperature eggs, cooking the white before the yolk, and frying on low heat. “It’s astonishing how many different means there are of accomplishing the same task,” responded u/PobBrobert.
We took things a step further and brought the question to professional chefs. Here are five easy ways to get closer to a flawless sunny-side up egg every time.
Pre-crack your egg
Cracking an egg is risky business — especially when it’s going straight into the hot pan. You could break the yolk, or worse, the egg could smell or appear rotten. Not only would you have to toss the egg, but you’d also have to go through the trouble of cleaning and re-greasing your frying pan. Instead, Jerald Head, chef and co-owner of Mắm in New York City, says to “crack your egg in a small bowl before getting started.” Once you’ve guaranteed a full, fresh yolk, you can easily transfer the egg from the bowl to the pan.
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Use a combination of cooking fats
Amanda Turner, chef de cuisine of Olamaie in Austin, always greases her pan with a neutral fat like grapeseed or canola, and heats it until the oil is shimmering. “Then you can add in a spoonful of bacon grease or butter,” she says. “Starting with a high-smoke-point oil allows you to raise the temperature of the pan enough so the bacon fat or butter doesn’t immediately burn.”
Similarly, Sunny Lee, chef-owner of Sunn’s in New York City, fries her eggs in a tablespoon of olive oil and a nub of butter. “Once the butter browns, you’ll know that the pan is hot enough to add the egg.”
Cover and steam
Once you’ve added your egg to the pan, there are two great tricks to achieving the perfect sunny-side up egg. Tam Pham, chef-owner of Tâm Tâm in Miami, waits until the whites begin to set, then covers the pan with a lid. “It should take only a few seconds for the egg to steam, creating a runny but set yolk.”
Baste the yolk
Alternatively, you can leave the pan uncovered and spoon the hot oil over your egg to cook its surface. “Once you get crispy bits on the edges, do a quick baste over the yolk to set it,” says chef Paul Carmichael of Kabawa in New York City.
“I like to baste the top with fat from the pan so it quickly cooks all around,” says Turner. “The edges of the egg will become brown and crispy and the inside will still be nice and runny.”
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Just use parchment paper
Without a reliable nonstick skillet or well-greased cast-iron, all these tips might go to waste, leaving you with an egg that’s impossible to release from the pan. “Instead, just find parchment paper,” says David Jackman, chef and co-owner of Wildweed in Cincinnati. “Lightly oil your pan below and above the paper, then crack an egg on top, cooking until the white sets. Voila — any pan can be a nonstick pan.”
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